Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Conflict of Heroes, the way it was meant to be played

Bored with Flames of War? Bolt Action not cutting it? Let the Conflict of Heroes system assuage your woes. Originally intended for minis, the system works flawlessly. Ok maybe not as flawlessly as ASL but you get the point.

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Having selected a type VIIB Uboat, I successfully conducted my first patrol. After a month at sea I logged three seperate encounters: one each of an unescorted tanker and one large freighter, escorted. I managed to sink all three and succeffully evaded escort detection while following the third for some time before i could finish it off. Total tonnage sunk: 23,700. Currently refitting, then off to Norway.

The hunters: Supplementary materials:

What to watch

What to read

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

What could have been, thankfully never was...

I remember a time in which the cold war had gone frozen. The impending threat of war between Nato and the Soviets had weighed so heavily for so long on our hearts and minds that the thing had somehow become transformed into an inevitability, something that was as sure to happen as the setting sun and in fact, in a kind of way, had happened. It was easier perhaps to pretend, to put the horrible behind us and focus on the next thing, the day after, the post-apocalyptic. Granted this was no duck and cover Cuban Missile Crisis, but this was no less of a nightmare, albeit a much longer one. Popular culture had dealt with it in its own special kind of way, with movies like Red Dawn or The Day After. Two very different films, one seizing the opportunity for glorification and the other limply holding on to existence. I remember playing war in the woods behind my house, shouting Wolverines! I also remember laying awake in bed night after night having finally seen The Day After. I would hear a plane fly overhead and hold my breath, waiting for something i would ultimately never feel. And this is more or less how i remember it. Holding my breath, day after day, month after month, and year after year. Oh the end was coming, but when? Turn on the radio during those days and catch a song by Asia, or Rush, etc. and be calmly reminded of what you already know, the impending doom, or turn the station and catch some bubble head babbling about nothing, which unashamedly attempted to serve as a useful distraction from it. (oh their were plenty of distractions in those days) Or, wholly embrace it: as did Tom Clancy, Harold Coyle, and Ralph Peters to name a few. We could choose to draw through them a kind of strength through a natural inclination to understand. Or, take a hands on approach, go through the motions, test theories, dissect the thing as a surgeon might, in other words, game it. If one reflects on the irony of gaming an historical event that did happen, how ever more ironical then to game that which was yet to happen? To play out our own end game.

Now, the fear has mostly evaporated. But for those of us that grew up during this time, that lived that fear every day, regardless of what flag you hid behind, it seems only like last nights nightmare, not so very long ago.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Operation Uranus was the codename of a Soviet 19–23 November 1942 strategic operation which led to the encirclement of the German 6th army, the 3rd and 4th Romanian armies, and portions of the German 4th Panzer army. The operation formed part of the ongoing Battle of Stalingrad, and was aimed at destroying German forces in and around Stalingrad. Planning for Operation Uranus had commenced in September 1942, and was developed simultaneously with plans to envelop and destroy German Army group center and German forces in the Caucasus. The Red Army
took advantage of the German army's poor preparation for winter, and the fact
that its forces in the southern Soviet Union were overstretched near
Stalingrad, using weaker Romanian troops to guard their flanks; the
offensives' starting points were established along the section of the
front directly opposite Romanian forces. These Axis armies lacked heavy
equipment to deal with Soviet armor.
Due to the length of the front created by the German summer offensive, aimed at taking the Caucasus oil fields and the city of Stalingrad,
German and other Axis forces were forced to guard sectors beyond the
length they were meant to occupy. The situation was exacerbated by the
German decision to relocate several mechanized divisions
from the Soviet Union to Western Europe. Furthermore, units in the area
were depleted after months of fighting, especially those which took
part in the fighting in Stalingrad. The Germans could only count on the 48th Panzer Corps, which had the strength of a single panzer division, and the 29th Panzer Grenadier division
as reserves to bolster their Romanian allies on the German Sixth Army's
flanks. In comparison, the Red Army deployed over one million personnel
for the purpose of beginning the offensive in and around Stalingrad.
Soviet troop movements were not without problems, due to the
difficulties of concealing their build-up, and to Soviet units commonly
arriving late due to logistical issues. Operation Uranus was first postponed from 8 to 17 November, then to 19 November.
At 07:20 Moscow time on 19 November, Soviet forces on the northern
flank of the Axis forces at Stalingrad began their offensive; forces in
the south began on 20 November. Although Romanian units were able to
repel the first attacks, by the end of 20 November the Third and Fourth
Romanian armies were in headlong retreat, as the Red Army bypassed
several German infantry divisions. German mobile reserves were not
strong enough to parry the Soviet mechanized spearheads, while the Sixth
Army did not react quickly enough to disengage German armored forces in
Stalingrad and reorient them to defeat the impending threat. By late 22
November Soviet forces linked up at the town of Kalach, encircling some 290,000 men east of the Don River. Instead of attempting to break out of the encirclement, Hitler
decided to keep the Axis forces in Stalingrad and resupply them by air. In
the meantime, Soviet and German commanders began to plan their next
movements.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Just a quick update on what the shirts will look like. I decided to go with a back print for it will be more visible as we hunch over our game boards. As soon as i get these in (guaranteed no later than Feb. 24) i'll be shipping them out!

Sunday, February 9, 2014

50 in 3!!

Roughly three months ago I began the whole Hexes and Soldiers podcast endeavor and as of today I have officially hit the 50 mark by way of subscribers!!! Its flattering to think that anyone would take the time to listen to me rant and attempt to present myself as even somewhat savvy when it comes to wargames and history. Thanks for listening and keep gaming!!! (and don't worry, my partner in crime is constantly humbling me :)

Saturday, February 8, 2014

What to watch

What to read

What to play

Through Frost's eyes

"A" Company are ordered to make an attempt to capture the southern end of the bridge.
"As they started to move across they were met by withering fire from a
pillbox and an armoured fighting vehicle sited on the bridge. It was obvious
that there was no future in the direct approach, so one platoon with a
detachment of sappers carrying a flame-thrower moved through the houses to
deal with the enemy from the side. While this manoeuvre was taking place the
enemy counter-attacked the embankment positions. After putting up illuminating
flares of various colours, then lobbing over a few mortar bombs, they
attempted to rush straight in, but this cost them dearly and that particular
lot retired into the darkness to lick their wounds. Robin Vlasto's platoon
succeeded in getting into position by mouseholing through the buildings. We
heard the crash of his P.I.A.T. bombs smashing into the side of the pillbox,
then the sky was lit as the flame-thrower came into action. All hell seemed to
be let loose after that.The fires on the bridge lit up the whole area like daylight
and the heat from them made the bridge impassable for that night at any rate.
Anyone attempting to move to the other side now would be silhouetted against
the flames in a way that would turn such a gamble into suicide..."
- Lieutenant-Colonel John Dutton Frost

P005 List

If I can get five or more orders I'll get these shirts printed up. The first one to order gets his free, the rest simply pay cost. Send name and shirt size to hexesandsoldiers@gmx.com. Put "I want a shirt" in the subject heading. Each person will be contacted once 5 or more orders are taken.